Towards a Regional Sustainable City: An Appraisal of Environmental Architecture Development in Shanghai

Introduction

Architecture termed as sustainable is the art that seeks to reduce the negative impact on the environment brought about by building and the development of infrastructure. The changes in the atmosphere have prompted the need for sustainable methods of construction through increasing efficiency of buildings and moderating the use of materials, energy, and space (Beedle et al., 2007). Sustainable development takes good care of the ecosystem at large. Many countries are focusing on ensuring development is achieved through sustainable architecture which applies a conscious approach to the conservation of the ecology and energy (Central Government, 2006). Environmental architecture has an aim to ensure that the actions of human development currently do not hurt the opportunities of future generations.

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The climatic changes experienced in the recent past have influenced the need for human beings to embrace green activities. According to the United Nations, China is likely to add 292 million metropolitan occupants with a more significant percentage having a major impact on Shanghai (Yen et al., 2016). The city has a high-density urban morphology and inadequate land assets prompting the need for sustainable architecture (Geng, 2012). Laws have been established both internationally and locally to support green practices in areas such as manufacturing, processing, and development. China has come up with various guidelines that ensure sustainable architecture practices are used in the design and construction of cities in the country (Davies, 2007). The city of Shanghai has embraced green building in its development plans focusing on increasing the efficiency of the use of scarce resources and at the same time reducing the impacts of the development on the health of humans and the environment as a whole. The study will provide information on the significance of maintainable urban planning progress in Shanghai and an assessment of critical issues regarding supporting concepts, philosophies, and challenges in green construction.

Research Questions

What are the existing policies for sustainable development put in place by Shanghai?

What are the environmental pillars for sustainability?

What changes need to be made to strengthen sustainable development practices in Shanghai in the future?

Literature Review

Buildings provide significant welfares to the society. However, they are among the primary clients of energy and cradles of environmental pollution. Buildings ensure the provision of a better future for future generations; there is the need for countries to start investing in sustainable construction practices that focus on long-term affordability, quality, and efficiency (Green & Haines, 2015). The United Nations estimate that by the year 2050 an approximate 66% of the world populace will be living in metropolitan areas and China will have an increase of about 300 dwellers (UN DESA, 2014). Shanghai being a mega city will be significantly affected by the population increase and thus will pose critical challenges for the growth of buildings, infrastructure, and provision of communal services. The city acts as the commercial, financial, and distribution center for China. Shanghai has rich water sources which provide adequate water for transportation and irrigation. However, other natural resources are not abundant. There are no conventional energy reserves and thus relies on energy imported from other provinces (CMF, 2006).

The population in the area has continued to grow, and the demand for houses upsurges annually. Therefore, there is the need for the adoption of sustainable architecture to satisfy the demand for housing while at the same time take into consideration the shortage of affordable land (Teng et al., 2016). There is the need for the construction of building that rise other than spreading which will help satisfy the requirements for businesses and residents. The development of high-rise buildings is a trend that has been embraced in China (Teng et al., 2016). However, it is more of a necessity rather than a pattern.

Since the early 1990s, Shanghai has focused on vertical urbanism, and it is therefore considered an upgraded city with tall buildings and skyscraper which form the image of the megacity (Beedle et al., 2007). Since 2005, the town has constructed approximately 56 million square meter ground area annually which translated to high rise buildings such as the Jin Mao Tower (Jun et al., 2010).

The construction in modern Shanghai is a reflection of the western invasion in the nineteenth era and has many different architectural styles. The new methods are incorporated into the traditional Chinese architecture (Shams et al., 2011). However, Chinese architecture also exists independently. The city is multicultural, and the buildings and settlement reflect the same (Shams et al., 2011). The focus on sustainable construction and the development of new supplies and technologies have made it possible for architecture to go higher and higher above the ground (Craighead, 2009).

Sustainable development perceives the world as an organization which links space and time. Therefore, activities that pollute the environment in Africa affect the quality in Asia. The policies that were made in the past affect the world today and economic practices today will affect the future generations. According to the Un Desa (2014), the most significant urban development is projected to take place in India, China, and Nigeria. Megacities are expected to increase globally with a surge of population in these areas.

A city center site is in most occasions a brownfield and consequently considered more ecological than using a Greenfield site. High rise constructions are likely to be the initial choice for sustainable development in urban regions (Nguyen et al., 2017). These buildings minimize the use of land by expanding the city center upwards. According to Kibert (2003), sustainable structure refers to all the activities that are involved in trying to assimilate human-made features with the natural counterpart. The practice embraces the ecologically sound principles which create a healthy built environment (Shams et al., 2011). Sustainable development aims at reducing resource consumption, reusing, recycling, protecting natural systems and eliminating toxic substances and other items in all phases undergoing construction within the region. Shanghai China focuses on ensuring sustainable development by providing construction decreases the usage of water, raw materials, energy, and land. The policies for development in Shanghai embrace green structures which limits the general influence of the built environs on hominid health and the expected surroundings (Song, 2008). The government works together with corporate leaders and investors to implement suitable strategies for enhanced efficiency and inspire supportable building projects through the provision of financial incentives.

The Significance of the Study

The study provides information on the significance of sustainable urban planning development and provides a wide-ranging review of critical issues. The research is significant in appraising environmental architecture development in Shanghai by underpinning the perceptions, principles, and challenges. The study proposes a scalable framework for efficient, sustainable development by addressing the gaps and limits of the prevailing models.

Research Methodology

The study will focus on obtaining both quantitative and qualitative data through the use of secondary sources. Library research will be conducted on regional sustainability in Shanghai China. Primary sources will also be used in the collection of research data where open-ended questionnaires will be handed to interviewees concerning the policies used for sustainable development in the city of Shanghai.

References

Beedle, LS, Mir, M. Ali and Armstrong, PJ. (2007). The Skyscraper and the City: Design, Technology, and Innovation. New York: The Edwin Mellen Press.

Central Government. (2006). Renewable energy law of China. Beijing: The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China.

CMF. 2006. The temporary management regulation of special fund for renewable energy development. Beijing: Chinese Ministry of Finance, 2006

Geng, Y. (2012). An Overview of Chinese Green Building Standards. Sustainable Development., Vol. 20, 211-221.

Craighead, G. (2009). High-Rise Building Definition, Development, and Use. [book auth.] G Craighead. High-Rise Security and Fire Life Safety. Los Angeles: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Davies, T. (2007). Tools for a sustainable built environment. Build. June/July 2007, 50-51.

Jun, Xia, Poon, Dennis and Douglas, C. Mass. (2010). Case Study: Shanghai Tower. CTBUH Journal. 2010, Vol. II, 12-18.

Shams, Shahriar, Mahmud, Kashif and Al-Amin, Md. (2011). A comparative analysis of building materials for sustainable construction with an emphasis on CO2 reduction. Int. J. Environment and Sustainable Development., Vol. 10, 4.

Song, L. (2008). Chinese Green Building Label. Beijing: Green Building Label Management Office,

UN DESA. (2014). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision. New York: United Nations.

Nguyen, H. T., Skitmore, M., Gray, M., Zhang, X., & Olanipekun, A. O. (2017). Will green building development take off? An exploratory study of barriers to green building in Vietnam. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 127, 8-20.

Teng, J., Wang, P., Wu, X., & Xu, C. (2016). Decision-making tools for evaluation of the impact on the eco-footprint and eco-environmental quality of green building development policy. Sustainable Cities and Society, 23, 50-58.

Yen, T. K., Mohammad, I. S., Jalil, R. A., Hakim, A., Mohammed, B., & Estate, R. (2016). Review Human Factors Issues in Malaysian Green Building Development: a Review. Malaysia Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 1(1), 27-32.

Green, G. P., & Haines, A. (2015). Asset building & community development. Sage publications.